Arts & Activities Magazine March 2016 by Arts & Activities

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CONTENTS V O L U ME 1 5 9 , No . 2

22 29 32 34 36

MARCH 2016

PASTELS, PENCILS, MARKERS AND MORE

ALIVE AND KICKING: JASON MESSINGER ABSTRACT LANDSCAPING Don Masse STAR WARS POP ART Irv Osterer architecture in the art room: toppling towers Rebekah Laurenzi RIBBONS AND SPHERES: INTRODUCTION TO STILL LIFE Rebecca Tarman integrating the curriculum, Portraiture: a study of the greek gods Sabina Bolinger 38 CHARCOAL PORTRAITS: FOCUSING ON SHADING AND CONTRAST David Laux 50 TRIED & TRUE TIPS FOR ART TEACHERS: DRAWING INSPIRATION Glenda Lubiner

YEARLONG HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM SERIES 18 BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION: watercolor still-life work Debi West SPECIAL FEATURES AND COLUMNS 10 RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT ART AND EDUCATION: EVALUATION

12 14 16 20

Jerome J. Hausman STEPPING STONES: PREPARING FOR THE NAEA CONVENTION Heidi O’Hanley CHOICE-BASED ART: I’M INTERESTED IN MAKING ARTISTS Ian Sands FORUM, THOUGHTS TO SHARE: NO, THANK YOU Justin Piccirillo INTEGRATING THE CURRICULUM: AN ARTISTIC SKYLINE ... WORD FOR WORD Ken Klopack

READY-TO-USE CLASSROOM RESOURCES

25 ARTS & ACTIVITIES ART PRINT FEATURE, WOMEN ARTISTS: LOIS MAILOU JONES Colleen Carroll 43 ARTS & ACTIVITIES STUDY PRINT: THE STARRY NIGHT (CYPRESSES AND VILLAGE) Vincent van Gogh

A&A AT YOUR SERVICE 42 AD INDEX 46 SCHOOLS AND SUMMER WORKSHOPS 2016

DEPARTMENTS 8 EDITOR’S NOTE 44 MEDIA REVIEWS 45 SHOP TALK ON THE COVER

TYPOGRAPHIC BROADSHEET (detail) Adobe® Illustrator, ink-jet printer, 6" x 9". By Lauren Stokes, grade 12, Merivale High School, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. See “Star Wars Pop Art,” page 29.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: (858) 605-0251; subs@artsandactivities.com. AD SALES: (888) 651-7567; ads@artsandactivities.com. AD PRODUCTION: production@artsandactivities.com. EDITORIAL: (858) 605-0242; ed@artsandactivities.com. FAX: (858) 605-0247. WEBSITE: www.artsandactivities.com. ADDRESS: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128.

18 4

Arts & Activities® (ISSN 0004-3931) is published monthly, except July and August, by Publishers’ Development Corp., 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128. Subscriptions: one year, $24.95; two years, $39.95; three years, $49.95. Foreign subscriptions, add $35 per year for postage. Single copy, $4. Title to this magazine passes to subscriber only on delivery to his or her address. Change of address requires at least four weeks’ notice. Send old address and new address. Periodical postage paid at San Diego, Calif., and at additional mailing offices. Printing by Democrat Printing, Little Rock, Ark. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Arts & Activities®, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128.

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e d i t o r ’s n o t e

Chicago is the place and March 17-19 are the

president

Thomas von Rosen

e d i t o r a n d p u b l i s h e r Maryellen Bridge a r t d i r e c t o r Niki Ackermann

dates for the National Art Education Association’s 56th Annual Conven-

tion. Each year, the NAEA convention offers outstanding opportunities for

E D I T O R I A L A D V I S O RY B O AR D

professional growth and the sharing of experience and knowledge.

Cris E. Guenter Professor of Arts Education/Curriculum and Instruction California State University, Chico

Excitement about art and teaching is palpable in conference rooms, hallways, exhibit halls and every corner of the convention site. The workshops, meetings and other scheduled events will ignite the creative energy in those who attend. We’ll be there, and hope you will too! Come see us in booth 521.

Jerome J. Hausman Lecturer, Consultant and Visiting Professor, at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Barbara Herberholz Art Education Consultant, Sacramento, California Mark M. Johnson Director, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama George Székely Senior Professor of Art Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington

This issue is bursting with ideas to ignite students’

C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O RS

creative energy, with an emphasis on drawing and color media. Provide

Colleen Carroll Curriculum Writer and Author of Children’s Art-Appreciation Books, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

the environment, materials and motivation, then watch your students go!

Geri Greenman Art Department Head (Retired), Willowbrook High School, Villa Park, Illinois

Helping students develop their ability to create is exciting.

Paula Guhin Art Teacher (Retired), Central HighSchool, Aberdeen, South Dakota

In this month’s cover story, “Star Wars Pop Art” (page 29), Irv Osterer ignites the creativity of two different classes by using the excitement swirling around the release of the new Star Wars movie, “The Force Awakens.” Popular culture has been a muse for many an artist, and high-school students are no exception.

For the elementary level, check out “Alive and Kicking: Jason Messinger, Abstract Landscaping,” the latest in Don Masse’s

Nan E. Hathaway Art Teacher, Crossett Brook Middle School, Duxbury, Vermont Amanda Koonlaba Art Teacher and Arts Integration Resource, Lawhon Elementary School, Tupelo, Mississippi Glenda Lubiner Middle-School Art Teacher, Franklin Academy Charter School, Pembroke Pines, Florida Don Masse Heidi O’Hanley

Art Teacher, Zamorano Fine Arts Academy, San Diego, California Art Teacher, Brodnicki Elementary School Justice, Illinois

Irv Osterer Department Head – Fine Arts and Technology, Merivale High School, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Debi West Lead Visual Art Teacher, North Gwinnett High School, Suwanee, Georgia

A D V ER T I S I N G D E P AR T M E N T

continuing series that focuses on living artists (page 22).

a d v e r t i s i n g m a n a g e r Tracy Brdicko

“Ribbons and Spheres: An Introduction to Still Life” describes a lesson Rebecca Tarman has found to be a winner with high-school students of varying interest and ability in art. “I need to ease the classes into new skills and concepts, one baby step at a time,” writes Rebecca. And her project is just the thing.

tracy @ artsandactivities.com 800.826.2216 or 888.651.7567 p r o d u c t i o n d i r e c t o r Linda Peterson p r o d u c t i o n m a n a g e r Kevin Lewis production @ artsandactivities.com H O W T O REA C H AR T S & A C T I V I T I ES Subscription Services To subscribe, renew, change an address or buy single copies,

visit artsandactivities.com, contact subs@artsandactivities.com or call (866) 278-7678.

There are more ideas and lessons in this issue

Letters to the Editor Letters pertaining to magazine content and art education in

to ignite your students’ creative energy. We think you will find them to be

Manuscripts Subjects dealing with art-education practice at the elementary and secondary levels, teacher education and uses of community resources, are invited. Materials are handled with care; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for loss or damage. Unsolicited material must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. For Writer’s Guidelines, visit artsandactivities.com/submit/writers-guidelines/ Address all materials to the attention of the Editor. Simultaneous submissions will not be considered or accepted.

winners, too, so dive right in and find one that’s perfect for you!

general are welcomed. Arts & Activities reserves the right to edit all letters for space and clarity. Send to ed@artsandactivities.com

Indexes Articles are indexed in January and June issues. Issues of Arts & Activities are available on microfilm and photocopies from: ProQuest Information and Learning, P.O. Box 1346, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. (Issues beginning with January 1977 are available in microfiche.) The full text of Arts & Activities is also available in the electronic versions of the Education Index. Copyright Permissions Reproduction of any portion of this magazine without written

permission is prohibited. Contact the Editor at the address shown below or the email address to the left or contact Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, copyright.com.

The opinions and recommendations expressed by individual authors within this magazine are not necessarily those of Publishers’ Development Corp.

Maryellen Bridge, Editor and Publisher ed@artsandactivities.com Follow us on

artsandactivities.com

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empowering young lives through art

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EVALUATION

by JEROME J. HAUSMAN

e are all engaged in “evaluation” in everyday affairs: How am I doing? What’s the score? Am I on track? How do I rate? Evaluation involves making judgments based on information, observa-

tions, expectations, hopes, desires, etc. We make use of particular values or criteria to make our judgments. We want to know how well we are doing. Tests are one of the means by which we give focused attention to judging outcomes. Oftentimes, we welcome tests where they affirm or clarify our strengths. In the visual arts, it is important to

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recognize that the work of art (painting, sculpture, print, etc.) can be understood as the test itself. What the student does is what we evaluate. Grades or scores are means by which we can report on test outcomes. Numbers or letter grades can be useful as an indication of performance; but, they should never be confused with the performance itself. It is also possible to evaluate without using numbers or letters. Educational criticism, like art criticism, can be done through observation and making judgments about processes and outcomes. Naming things can be confused with understanding them. In education, there should be a connection between what’s being taught and the evaluation being conducted. Art teachers can take on a leadership role in giving form and direction to our evaluation practices. Instead of fitting our practices into old-fashioned test formats, we ought to be demonstrating other—and more appropriate—evaluation practices. The idea of art exhibitions can be expanded to include video portfolios or self-reporting strategies. Keeping in mind that we are evaluating “what the student thinks and does,” we can document the very processes of thought and creation. These would not be standardized tests. Instead, we would be using our technologies to understand our students’ thought processes in the act of creation. Like a family photo album, we should be able to gather and reflect on the students’ own records of thoughts and images as they carry on their work in art education. This would be more than looking at letter grades. It would be looking at what they have actually done. n A&A Editorial Advisor, Dr. Jerome J. Hausman, is a lecturer, consultant, and a visiting professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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neW prodUcts for spring! Art projects for middle school

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Clay Projects

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Japanese tea bowls are a great project for beginning clay students. These are pinch pots that do not have to be symmetrical. In fact, they are more “valuable” if they are slightly imperfect. Explain to students the history of the Japanese tea ceremonies and the first tea bowls made. Students may research the internet to see many different styles of tea bowls. Add a “foot” to the bowl by rolling a coil an attaching it to the bottom of the bowl to make it more special than a regular pinch pot.

Cover plastic bottles with newspaper; roll out a slab of clay the thickness of a pencil. Cut out a rectangle and wrap around the shampoo bottle. Join seam and smooth. Set bottle on the slab again and cut out a circle bottom. Join seam with scoring, mud slip, and pressure. Add handles if desired. Remove the bottle and peel out as much newspaper as possible. Add texture when clay reaches leather stage.

coiL Pot

SLAB diSh

Roll out clay slabs to 1⁄4 to 3⁄8-inch thickness and Roll out a slab of clay and cut a circle base. cut out shapes (jalapeño, heart, apple, circle, Cut strips from the slab and roll into worm rectangle…) Cut out a long rectangle and wrap shapes slightly thicker than a pencil. Coil like around the cut out shape. Score the two pieces a cinnamon roll and add to the circle bottom. and use slip to adhere seams tightly. Add Be sure to use scoring and slip or the embellisments like leaves, flowers, or coil pot will fall apart. Add circles, SLiP ~ A a lid. squares, or diamond shapes as you add the layers of coils. mixture of clay

After rolling the clay into a ball, Flatten the clay on the top of insert thumb, leaving 1⁄2 an inch the thumb and then form a mouth piece at the end of the from the opposite side. thumb.

Hollow the whistle by pinching the clay between your fingers, thinning the walls of the sphere.

Gently push from all sides around the opening to gently close it.

Smooth the clay until it is completely closed.

Insert a clean clay knife straight into the mouth piece.

Poke a small, round stick into the flat side of the whistle near where you inserted the knife to make the mouth piece.

Pull the stick away from the mouth piece to bevel the edge. This is what makes the sound when the whistle is blown.

Add extra clay pieces to make whimsical whistle sculptures.

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COLORS may be WARM

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Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones is a monthly column that breaks down seemingly daunting tasks into simple, manageable “steps” that any art educator can take and apply directly to their classroom. Stepping Stones will explore a variety of topics and share advice for art-on-a-cart teachers and those with art rooms.

PREPARING FOR THE NAEA CONVENTION

by heidi o'hanley

’m so excited for this year’s National Art Education Association (NAEA) convention because it’s taking place in my home city! My first convention was back in 2006 (which was also in Chicago), and my eyes were opened to a world of endless ideas for my classroom and curriculum! Since then I’ve attended the event almost every year in other cities and have learned some tricks to navigating this amazing national convention. I’d like to offer some tips in preparing for the national convention and visiting the city of Chicago.

Be prepared for strange weather! Chicago has been known for its odd weather patterns, so keep a close eye on the forecast! Prepare to dress warm in case of strange pop-up snows in March, but hope for warmer sweater weather. The lakefront (which is close to the hotel) is the best place for morning jogs, especially near the museum campus!

Don’t forget your walking shoes! Even if you’re not a morning runner, the Art Institute of Chicago is walking distance from the hotel, and two miles straight north is the Museum of Contemporary Art. There are plenty of artistic experiences to be had within Chicago, and plenty of ways to get to where you need to go! There will also be shuttles available from the hotel to the convention center!

Utilize the NAEA Chicago convention app!

When NAEA started using their convention apps a few years back, it was a huge help with planning out all the sessions I wanted to see by divisions, workshops, connections with friends, and super session speakers. The app is available for your phones and iPads, and I highly recommend downloading it! You can also use the app to write and store notes while attending presentations, which can be stored within the app.

Make room in your luggage for the vendors!

A few times when I flew to attend a national convention, I packed a suitcase within a suitcase to bring back all the free samples and giveaways received. I even remember a year when I shipped boxes back! In other words, don’t over pack before you head to the conference! Save some room for those samples and goodies you want to take back to your classroom! The vendors consist of companies that supply your art materials, magazine subscriptions, art fundraisers, books and posters, and much more! You can even order supplies while at the convention to be shipped to your school! 12

Print labels with your address for raffles, giveaways AND MORE! Every year that I forget to

print labels with my email and school address, I regret it. The vendor area is like an art teacher’s toy store: you have multiple vendors with giveaways, mailing list sign-ups, and prizes. Labels make it much easier for you to place a sticker and go instead of spending time hand writing your entire address and phone number.

Plan some time to visit the city of Chicago!

There’s plenty to do off site from the convention. You will be close to plenty of museums, such as the Field Museum of Natural History (a great place to sit back and sketch), the Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium (all three museums known as the “museum campus”), to the Art Institute of Chicago, and even further down to the Museum of Contemporary Art. There are also plenty of sculptures up and down the walking path of Lake Michigan, as well as cultural centers in Chinatown, Little Italy, and more. Monuments by famous artists are located in Graceland Cemetery on the north side, and gallery districts lay all over the west and south side of the loop. There are also plenty of architectural tours within the city and outskirts in Oak Park. In other words, you will have plenty to do and see.

Make a stop at the information booth! The volunteer committee will be available to help direct you to where you need to go! From local restaurants, workshop locations, cultural attractions, and more, members are around to help you with any assistance you need!

Attend the social-media “meet-ups.” If you’re on

Twitter (#artsed), Facebook (Art Teachers Group), or any other social media outlet, there will be plenty of meetups, brunches, and events around the convention. Keep an eye out on your preferred social media network for extra gatherings to meet people face to face! If this is your first convention, I hope you have a wonderfully artistic experience! There is so much to do and see both on- and of f-site, you will leave will a head full of ideas and inspiration for your classroom, curriculum, and art department. The NAEA convention is one of the best professional development opportunities available for art teachers. Have fun and be inspired! n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor, Heidi O’Hanley (NBCT) teaches elementary art for Indian Springs School District #109, in the Greater Chicago Area. Visit her blog at www. talesfromthetravellingartteacher.blogspot.com. m a r c h 2 0 1 6 • 83 y e a r s

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Choice-Based Art

Edited by Nan Hathaway

Choice-Based Art classrooms are working studios where students learn through authentic art making. Control shifts from teacher to learner as students explore ideas and interests in art media of their choice. This concept supports multiple modes of learning to meet the diverse needs of our students. Learn more at teachingforartisticbehavior.org.

I’M INTERESTED IN MAKING ARTISTS by IAN SANDS

s an art teacher I long embraced the mantra, “Make Art.” I had these words emblazoned on T-shirts, a coffee mug, my classroom blog banner, even the license plate on my car. I had good reason for accepting this catchy slogan. After all, my job was to teach my students to make art. One day while looking over my students’ art, I noticed that their work all looked the same. In fact, their art looked more than similar, their work was unrecognizable as individual pieces. When I laid it out on a table, I couldn’t tell which work belonged to which student. Though I had been teaching my students to make art, I hadn’t been teaching them how to be artists. It was at this point I realized a paradigm shift in my thinking was required. I would no longer be interested in “making art” but, rather, “making artists.” This difference in my thinking can best be understood by comparing the product vs. the process. As an art teacher who was interested in making art, I incorporated a productbased mentality. My old way of thinking leaned heavily on a desired and predetermined outcome. In other words, I was interested in what students’ project would look like when they were completed. As I switched to being a more choice-based teacher, I became interested in making artists. My focus now turns to a set of artistic behaviors my students will acquire while creating art. I want to make sure they understand steps artists take and decisions artists make when creating art. In other words, I became interested in the process. In order to implement my newfound desire to teach students to work like artists, I enlisted the help of fellow Apex High School art teacher, Melissa Purtee. Together we sat down and developed a list of ideas, not based on making art, but on being an artist. We considered what artist do, how they think and how they work to create art. From our very long inventory of topics, we scrubbed our list of artistic behaviors down to our top seven. This set of units would become our semester roadmap. Here is our list of artistic-behavior units including short descriptions.

1. Artists Observe: This unit covers observational draw-

ing and possibly painting. It incorporates still-life drawings and nature drawings, as well as architectural drawings, urban sketching or even plein air painting. 14

2. Artists Steal: Discussions revolve around artists such as Lichtenstein, Shepard Fairey and Damien Hirst. Themes are based on concepts such as appropriation and intertextuality. 3. Artists Communicate: This unit covers the many ways art is used to communicate ideas and thoughts. It covers a range of art works from contemporary artists to commercial fields such as advertising and illustration to video and animation. This unit culminates with a theme-based project. 4. Artists Collaborate: This unit introduces the concept

of working together to build something bigger than the sum of its parts. Consider discussing and contrasting different ways artists collaborate, from Jeff Koons, who hires people to create his art, to teams like Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who worked together. 5. Artists Curate: This unit covers how museum and

gallery exhibits are conceived and works are assembled in groups. It covers everything from artist styles and collections to how museum curators pick topics for shows. This unit also explores how artists create individual style. 6. Artists Solve Problems: This unit examines how artists work with limitations and constraints. Students research the limitations artists overcome such as; Henri Matisse working with compromised vision, Chuck Close painting from his wheelchair, or Phil Hansen’s TED talk, “Embrace the Shake.” Students explore self-inflicted limitations from materials to working in difficult situations. 7. Artists are Self-Learners: This unit provides students an opportunity to experiment with new materials, styles, skills and techniques. It encourages them to utilize tutorials, and to create tutorials themselves. They are also encouraged to share what they learn with others. Making the shift from product-based to process-based thinking opened avenues of creativity, originality and personal voice in my students’ work that I had not previously seen. Where before I couldn’t tell two works apart, I now see projects that are created in a style unique to each student. Their works no longer resemble exercises in the elements and principles of design, but rather, art that is personal and meaningful to each individual artist. n

Ian Sands teaches visual art at Apex High School outside of Raleigh, N.C. He is passionate about student choice, supporting diversity and creating pathways for authentic self-expression. Read more from Ian at: www.artofapex.com m a r c h 2 0 1 6 • 83 y e a r s

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FORUM thoughts to share

No … Thank You! E

ach year, another 300 or so students fulfill their art requirement and you—the teacher—simply smile and digress into the summer months, subconsciously anticipating the following August when the school year once again opens. It is during those summer months that you somehow recharge your batteries, gearing up for another 10-month struggle with curriculum, mandates, and now, data-collection. This rejuvenation is welcomed as well, as so needed for a successful school year for both the teacher, as much as the student. This is my 18th year as a teacher. Each “last day” comes and goes and I put another notch into my Teacher’s Retirement belt. I always thought that the summer was the reward for a successful school year. But I was wrong. This past year, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned that the reward isn’t seeing those anxious little kids off into the warm summer; it is seeing them off to discover what they can do with what you taught them. Age really doesn’t mean a thing here.

Whether they are in second grade, or in their third year of college, students want to show you, the teacher, that they are using what you have taught them. Think about it. As students make their way in life, or even just through the summer, they are bombarded with connections to what they may have learned throughout their schooling. Something as simple as buying two packs of baseball cards and a chocolate milk, and factor in the six-percent sales tax, these everyday problems throughout one’s day become real life situations with real-life applications. Let me tell you a personal story.

Every now and then, a student will challenge you mentally, as well as physically. For me, this was one I’ll call Jesse. No, he wasn’t a behavior issue, nor was hard to handle emotionally in the classroom. Instead, he was preparing me for the ride of a lifetime. I had him about six years ago. He was just barely a teenager when he signed up to take one of my Drawing classes. He was good; not over-the-

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by Justin Piccirillo

top great, but he definitely held his own within the class. What Jesse had, though, was a drive and an intensity to learn that I found to be so rare in kids his age. He did fine, and was soon enrolled in another of my classes. Then again, he progressed, and landed into another of my classes. Soon, he catapulted to become the class artist. In a way, Jesse reminded me so much of me in my high school years. He wanted it. He wanted to explore. Like me, he loved the arts as a whole, dabbling in music, writing and crafts. He was never a teacher’s pet, nor did he ask for help often. He was just another kid in the room engaged and welcoming to my ideas. There wasn’t really much more than that. When it came time to search for colleges, it was really no surprise he would look to art schools. Though he had other talents in writing and music, I just knew he wanted to be a professional in the visual arts. And so, he went. Like all of the other graduates, he had paid his highschool dues, and was now just a product of my teaching and onboard to being an artist in college. almost a year LATER, he came back to visit. Jesse had come to see me with his portfolio in hand, anxious to show me his latest work. As written, he had always been talented, in an out-of–the-box kind of way. But as a technical drawer and painter, the book’s pages showed that he had made leaps and bounds in his artistic prowess! His work was incredible. It surpassed any recollections of his talent I had seen or remembered. “Where did you learn how to paint like that?” I said pointing to a vibrant photocopy that was set behind the clear, acrylic sheet in his hand-held portfolio. “You!” he said emphatically. I heard him, but the connection didn’t quite set in since his next remark made me shiver a little and then blush from flatter y.

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see

FORUM

on page 40

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AA1603

Yearlong High School Curriculum Series | BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

Lesson 7 of 10

Watercolor Still-Life Work by Debi West

love to teach my students the magic of watercolor painting! As a watercolor artist, it’s one of my favorite lessons. It’s all about the experimentation and learning to trust that, often, watercolor is going to do what it wants to do. I often call this lesson, “embracing happy accidents!” To begin the lesson, I introduce my students to watercolor terms, supplies and techniques. Each student receives a list of information, as well as a 12" x 18" piece of cold-press watercolor paper. We discuss the difference between cold- and hot-press papers and boards, the different types of watercolors and brushes, and all of the ways in which artists can creatively manipulate watercolor to play with value and color mixing. Next, students fold their paper into 24 squares by folding the paper in half, then folding it into thirds. They then open the paper up and fold it twice vertically. They then have their areas in which they will experiment and play. On the hand-out I give them, several watercolor techniques are listed—wet on dr y, wet on wet, resist, drip, gradient values, salt, alcohol, white ink pen, plastic-wrap pull, paper-towel prints, and so on. I have students select 24 and practice each one in a specific square on their paper. By giving my students this time to experiment and play with watercolor, it frees them up for the actual art lesson. It also teaches them that watercolor “bleeds” can be ver y interesting and that oftentimes, the looser they are with the paint and water, the more successful and creative their final pieces will be. Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

Students sketch out a contour drawing of the still lifes on watercolor paper, concentrating on what they see.

In pencil, students grid their sheets, then fill the squares with specific techniques, using the colors in the arrangements

Students filled the squares with various watercolor techniques—wet on dry, wet on wet, resist, drip, gradient values, salt, alcohol, white ink pen, plastic-wrap pull, and so on.

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Lesson 7 of 10

INTRO TO ART CURRICULUM SERIES

Watercolor Still-Life Work Learning Objectives

Materials

High-school “Art 1” students will ... • learn techniques needed to make beautiful and creative watercolor paintings. • incorporate their grid art skills, their direct observation skills and their watercolor technique skills into a final artwork.

• 12" x 18" watercolor paper (two pieces per student), watercolor palettes, brushes, water cups • Baskets of materials, including salt, alcohol, crayon resist, plastic wrap, pencils, oil pastel, netting, screens, masking tape, paper clips, etc.

Procedures 1. Introduce the lesson by showing a Powerpoint on watercolor techniques. 2. Give students hand-outs of watercolor techniques. 3. Students will fold their first piece of paper into 24 squares, and create a study of various watercolor techniques and washes in each area. 4. Students will then lightly outline a contour drawing of flowers in a vase on their second piece of paper. 5. Students will grid out that paper lightly in pencil, creating 24 squares similar to their folded practice sheet. 6. Students will then begin to paint each gridded area using one of the newly

learned watercolor techniques. 7. Students will look at the still life, but have the creative license to add their own color, textures, etc., as learned in the first study. 8. Students will ensure that there is unity in the background. 9. Final artworks will be hung in a class display and critiqued. Note: This lesson is wonderful in that students are very proud of what they create and enjoy making the connections to some of their earlier assignments, while having the freedom to experiment and learn about watercolor media.

Assessment We do in-process critiques using my “2 Glows and a Grow” model: Each student selects a classmate’s work that speaks to him/her and attaches three notes—two with what works, and one with what the artist might want to consider or change. There is also an evaluation form that prompts students to appropriately reflect on the learning at hand and provides space for them to comment on the process and how they feel their final piece turned out. There is also space for me to comment and give them a grade based on their learning and the final work.

Once we complete our experimentation days, we then move into the actual lesson. I set up artificial-flower arrangements at each table and have students lightly sketch out a contour of what they see onto a 12" x 18" white watercolor paper, as I reiterate the importance of direct obser vational drawing and still-life work. Once the still life has been drawn, students use pencil to grid out their sheets into squares, similar to their practice sheets. Then the fun begins! Students go back and refer to their experimental papers, find the techniques they enjoyed, and then work in

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each grid-square of their still-life drawings using a specific technique and the colors they see in their still-life flower arrangements. This lesson is so successful because it teaches my students to use their art skills and their direct-obser vation skills, and to push their creativity as they paint a unique and original watercolor still life! Next up … Acrylic Fruit Studies! n Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT, is Art Department Chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. She is also an Arts & Activities Contributing Editor. 19

INTEGRATING

the curriculum

Students created an artistic skyline using actual words that describe our city of Chicago.

such as a particular street, a single structure, a row of buildings, or a town square. TO IntroducE the idea to the class, I shared examples that

n my search for art projects that cross curriculum lines, I found a way for students to create scenic designs and develop their vocabulary and word meaning in-context skills. Students created an artistic skyline using actual words that describe our city. The resource we tapped came from stacks of newspapers that the students and I brought in. In Chicago, our town is known to all who live here, but this was my chance to have my students see it in a different way. This lesson was perfect for grades five and six, although I think it would be wonderful for any level down to grade three. This project can also be adapted to any town or location,

An 20

helped demonstrate the process, and showed a number of skyline photos, which students could use them as starting points. Any type of words could be used to describe Chicago— nouns, adjectives, verbs, and so on. The only limit was to stick with single words and very brief phrases. No full sentences. Students were free to place words in any position or order. The goal was to completely build up the skyline with the words they chose. Before starting to work, we discussions the words students might use. What kinds of words describe our city? Sports? Entertainment? Business? Weather? How about cultural events and places? I suggested they look for words that work together to create design elements within the shapes of the buildings. Students were primed and ready to start looking for words that “literally” shaped their skyline. After roughing in the skyline, markers were used to outline the shapes. Students could choose to add color using crayons and/or colored pencils.

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Learning Objectives Upper-elementary and middle-school students will … • develop the disciplines needed to create a piece of art (organization, following instructions, brainstorming, developing art-related skills) • consciously use line, shape, color, and composition to create a unique piece of art. • manipulate words that define the artwork they create. • build literacy skills through artistic goals. • have fun developing their creative instincts.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. • Presenting: Interpreting and sharing artistic work. • Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning. • Connecting: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

Materials

• •

12" x 18" construction paper Graphite pencils, erasers, crayons, colored pencils, color markers, • Scissors, glue sticks • Newspapers • Photos of the city skyline • Samples of a completed skyline

Interest in learning new words with applied meaning continued to grow as students created their skylines.

Once the skylines wERE in place, students began their search among the newspapers for words they felt described our city. I encouraged them to use different colors, fonts, shapes and sizes. After clipping out piles of about 10–12 words at a time, students placed them onto their skylines. With teacher approval, students then proceeded to glue the words in place. As work continued, each artwork—literally and visually—took on the personality of the young artist creating it. Some students used a bricklaying-like process to stack their words, while others moved them around with an emphasis on size, shape and color. It was fun watching students make a visual statement about their city. This art project took on some aspects of a language-arts lesson. Student interest in learning new words with applied meaning continued to grow as they worked on their sky-

... Word www.ar tsandactivities.com

lines. They enjoyed the challenge of integrating words into the art activity. Not only did students develop compositional and design skills, they exercised their language-arts skills by using a variety of words to communicate their thoughts about our city. Some of their explanations about why they included certain words in the design displayed creative insight, which I found delightful. Compliments rained down on the artists when I set up exhibits of their work in the school. There was quite a buzz and much discussion. I especially enjoyed watching them explain to others how they created the skylines, and what the words used meant to them in describing their city. n Ken Klopack is an art and gifted education consultant for the Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, Illinois.

for Word

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by Ken Klopack 21

ALIVE

and kicking

Jason Messinger

Abstract Landscaping by Don Masse

ason Messinger is a Chicago-based artist who likes to walk the line between representation and abstraction in his work. I think it’s important for all ages to play with and practice these concepts as well. He has created numerous clay tile series that explore the landscape vocabulary of places around the world. This body of work is a great introduction to how an artist can create depth through overlapping, size change and value change while not having to make things look real. When I share Jason’s art with my students, we identify how he works

with shape and color value to create some 3-D space, while working with a minimal number of landscape elements. Our goal for this project is not to copy one of Jason’s works, but to be inspired by his vocabulary of shape and create something new. For this lesson, I have my students do some preliminar y work before starting their final drawings. First, they created color value scales. (I use different color schemes for different classes, such as—yellow and green; red and yellow; blue and yellow; etc.) We talk about how pressing hard or

Jason Messinger (American; b. 1966). Versailles, France. Modular clay mural. Ceramic tiles, 8" x 8" each. Image courtesy of the artist. Visit jasonmessingerart.com.

Each different class uses a different color scheme for their landscape drawings. 22

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soft creates different values. They then draw a few simple landscape elements—pine tree, cypress tree, setting sun/bush, stream/path. The third step is for students to put them together in an interesting way in two sketches. They needed to overlap at least once, and change sizes from big to small somewhere. This year, I have been putting added emphasis on speaking and listening in my classroom to reinforce art content, to reinforce ELA standards, and to assist in developing critical thinking skills. With this lesson, when students finish sketching I have them think about which one they are more interested in and why. They then share their reasoning with a neighbor. Just as I model the visual steps, I make sure to model these verbal steps so students have a framework to work with. Students receive a white 8" x 8" square of paper to draw on. When they have their chosen composition drawn, they can color it with any of the color values they made in their

1. Before starting to draw, students first create color value scales.

2. Next, they draw a few simple landscape elements, then put them together in two sketches.

3. The kids think about which sketch they are more interested in and why, then share their reasoning with a neighbor.

4. By pressing hard or soft with their pastels, students create different values in their drawings.

continued on next page

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will … • learn about the work of artist Jason Messinger. • revisit the use of abstract style in art. • share why they prefer one sketch over another. • practice creating value scales. • depict the illusion of depth/space in a work of art, using overlapping, size change and value change. • write about their experience.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

Creating: Discuss and reflect with peers about choices made in creating artwork. • RESPONDing: Use learned art vocabulary to express preferences about artwork.

MATERIALS

• • • •

Practice paper Pencils, erasers 8" x 8" white paper Oil pastels

The finished work was grouped for display, similar to Messinger’s Versailles. Students enjoyed assisting with the placement of individual panels. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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scales. The one rule is that shapes that share a side cannot be the same color. To close the activity, students write about their experience—how they created depth, why they went with one sketch over the other, and a question they would ask Jason if they could.

ALIVE

AA1603T

continued from page 23

To close the activity, students wrote about their experience and posed a question to living artist, Jason Messinger.

A PERK TO FOCUSING ON LIVING ARTISTS is that you can share your stu-

Share your Teaching Expertise and Success Arts & Activities magazine is seeking manuscripts describing successful assignments with practical application to K–12 art instruction. Learn how to get published in Arts & Activities! Visit: artsandactivities.com/submit/writers-guidelines

dents’ work with them. I selected a few student questions and sent them to Jason. He was kind enough to respond, and I then read them to the kids. This aspect is so cool: contact with the artist makes the content so much more real for my students. Here are a couple of the questions I sent to Jason: Q: Why do you make your trees flat? (Elsa, room 735) A: I wanted to reduce the complexity of the images as much as possible, but still leave them recognizable. Q: Why do you use clay for your art? (Nathan, room 43) A: Clay is a great medium, you can do almost anything with it. Combine it with glazes and you have a colorful material that can be turned into anything you imagine. This project is a hit with the kids. They dig Jason’s approachable way of creating landscapes, they like working with the oil pastels, and they get to talk to one another as part of the lesson. n

A&A Contributing Editor, Don Masse, is a K–5 visual arts teacher at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, Calif.

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classroom use of the art print

Instructions: The monthly Art Print is meant to be removed from the center of the magazine, laminated or matted, and used as a resource in your art room. – Editor

Mère du Senegal, Loïs Mailou Jones primary

middle school

Display the Art Print and ask the children to spend a few minutes letting their eyes wander around the picture. Next, ask them to share one thing they noticed about the image. (Answers might include: bright colors, a woman braiding a child’s hair, shapes, patterns). Give students white paper and bright-colored crayons. Allow time for them to create simple geometric patterns, such as the triangle patterns on the right and left sides of the Art Print image. On another piece of drawing paper, ask them to sketch a family scene. Have students cut out the scene and glue it onto the patterned paper. Give them time to describe and share their art with the class.

Loïs Mailou Jones began her career as a textile designer. Although Mère du Senegal was painted over 50 years after she first began designing textiles, her love of pattern and vivid colors is evident in this image. (One can almost imagine the patterns running along the left border as a bolt of fabric leaning against a wall.) In this activity, introduce students to one of the basic elements of textile design: pattern repetition. First, show students the eight-minute CNN Inside Africa video, “Reviving Senegal’s Textile Industr y”: www.cnn.com/videos/international/2014/06/23/spc-inside-africa-senegalculture-b.cnn Remind students that Jones visited Senegal and was influenced by the colors and patterns of West African textiles. Next, do a Google search of African textile patterns. What students will see is a fascinating mix of traditional and contemporar y designs. Instruct them to pick and print three simple designs. Have students study the designs and identify where the patterns repeat. In another class session, give students time to create their own textile designs; first in sketches and then using fabric paints on a small piece of cloth, such as muslin or linen, creating at least four repeats. Display all finished textiles alongside the Art Print.

elementary Share with students how the artist, Loïs Mailou Jones, was very interested in African culture, and that she made the picture after trips to Africa, where she met many people and artists, observed the culture, and made drawings. Show students a world map, pointing out the country of Senegal. Explain that the colors and patterns they see in the picture are common to Senegalese culture. Show children a pre-curated selection of photographs of actual Senegalese mothers with their children, to provide students with additional visual content before beginning the art project. Point out how Jones used areas of blue, green, and bright yellow in the center of her painting. (Discuss why Jones may have chosen yellow for the central color). For another class session, have students bring in photographs of family scenes. The images can be actual family photos, drawings, or pictures from magazines or an imagebase. Using pre-made shapes, model for students how to cut and paste shapes to create patterns and to combine the patterns with solid colors to create a background for their family scene. Students should look to the Art Print to see how Jones placed the solid colors in the central part of the composition as a simple backdrop for the figures. After the background patterns and color blocks are glued onto a backing board, students can then place their image there and secure it with glue. Display all finished work with the Art Print Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article. www.ar tsandactivities.com

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high school The subject of mother and child has a long tradition in Western art. Mère du Senegal is Loïs Mailou Jones’ colorful take on the subject, depicted from an African mother’s perspective. Place students in small research groups. Give the groups time to conduct online research into the motherand-child subject, assigning specific periods to each group, such as ancient ar t, Christian iconography, or 19th-centur y French painting. After research is concluded, gather students together to present their findings. Discuss how Mère du Senegal fits into the motherand-child continuum. For the second par t of this study, challenge students to produce—either individually or in small groups—an original mother-and-child piece in a medium of their choosing. Plan to display the finished work on or around Mother’s Day. 25

MARCH 2016

Loïs Mailou Jones (American; 1905–1998). Mère du Senegal, 1985. Acrylic; 24" x 36". Courtesy of the Loïs Mailou Jones Pierre-Noël Trust.

A&A art print notes

Women Artists

by Colleen Carroll

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Carter for outstanding achievement in the arts and, more

In her 1989 Callaloo interview, Loïs Mailou Jones reflected

recently, the 2009 Mint Museum retrospective, Loïs Mailou

on the seeds of a career that would span seven decades:

Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color, toured the United States. Per-

“Well, I began with art at a very early stage in my life. As a

haps writer Michael O’Sullivan said it best in his 2010 Wash-

child, I was always drawing. I loved color. My mother and

ington Post review of the exhibit, “The enduring power of

father ... gave me an excellent supply of crayons and paper—

color—both in Jones’ paint and in her life—shines through.” (See article about the exhibition, which appeared in the

and encouraged me.” Jones was born and raised in Boston, attending both public and private art schools, and eventually graduated, on scholar-

October 2011 issue of Arts & Activities: pubdev.ipaperus. com/ArtsandActivities/AAOctober2011/?page=20)

ship, from the Museum of Fine Arts. Her first professional work was in textile design. Although the process was satisfy-

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

ing, she wasn’t able to put her name on her works.

This month’s Ar t Print, Mère du Senegal (Mother of

Jones wanted more. “As I wanted my name to go down in

Senegal) was painted in 1985, in what is concerned Loïs Mailou Jones’ “late” career. “Jones’ long career

history, I realized I would have to be a painter.” (“An Inter view with Loïs Mailou Jones,” Callaloo, Vol. 12 No. 2, Spring, 1989. p. 357–378.) In 1928, Jones left Boston for North Carolina, and founded the art department at The Palmer Memorial Institute. Two years later, she joined the faculty at Howard University, teaching design and watercolor painting for 47 years. Jones was a

may be divided into four phases: the Afri-

can-inspired works of the early 1930s, “Mine is a quiet French landscapes, cityscapes, and exploration— a quest for new figure studies from 1937 to 1951, Haitian scenes of the 1950s and meanings in color, texture and 1960s, and the works of the design. Even though I sometimes past several decades that reflect a return to African themes.” portray scenes of poor and (americanart.si.edu) struggling people, it is a Mère du Senegal is characgreat joy to paint.” terized by the bright color and

dedicated educator, and took pride

Loïs Mailou Jones (1905–1998)

in mentoring her students. In 1937 she was awarded a fellowship to study in Paris. “This was a defining moment for the

bold pattern that Jones, by 1985, had been known for decades. The central image, one of a mother braiding a child’s

hair, is at once powerful and intimate. Jones’ early

young black artist who experienced—for the first time in her

career as a textile designer is apparent here. Both the left

life—the complete freedom to live as she wished without the

and right sides of the composition are “decorated” in tradi-

indignities of segregation that she felt in the United States.”

tional West African patterns that simultaneously frame the

(phillipscollection.org)

action, add visual interest, and celebrate Senegalese culture.

After her return from Europe, Jones began to employ

The choice to backlight the mother with vivid yellow and

African-American themes and motifs into her work, partly

orange creates a kind of halo effect, elevating this humble

as a reaction to and influenced by the Harlem Renaissance.

woman to an almost spiritual status.

In 1953, Jones married Haitian artist Louis Pierre-Noel. She

“This painting is as tender a ‘mother and child’ as any art-

spent a great deal of time in Haiti, absorbing its rhythms and

ist from time immemorial has painted, but it’s an Afrocentric

culture, and incorporated them into her work. In 1954 she

take on the milieu. Look at the decorative elements in the back

was a guest of the Haitian government as a visiting artist.

and then the triptych of color she’s used—akimbo—to back the

She spent hours painting landscapes and the Haitian people,

figures.” (Kent L. Boyer. DallasArtNews.com)

as well as teaching art classes. In 1980 Jones received an award from President Jimmy 28

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ith the release of the film coinciding with winter break, it only seemed appropriate to end the term with a Star Wars®–themed assignment: a Pop art–inspired project, circa 2015. And, besides the requisite action figures, comic books, postage stamps and T-shirts that always accompany a major film event, it seems that, R2D2, Yoda, Darth Vader, et al. were already enticing consumers to purchase Campbells® soup, SpaghettiOs®, Popchips®, Coffee-mate®, and more! I think the Star Wars phenomena would have been totally embraced by Andy Warhol, who created some of his most popular canvases through vehicles of pop culture. It would be interesting to see what he might have

Lauren Abood

DARTH VADER IN EMIGRE

C-3PO in Emigre Cholla

UNIVERSAL NINETEEN done with some of the Lucasfilm iconography. Warhol’s famous Campbells soup series may well have included a Wookie or a droid!

by Irv Osterer

THE project TOOK TWO DIRECTIONS:

The grade 9/10 Integrated Art class was assigned the task of creating a large vertical abstract painting of a Star Wars character (with so many in the series, there was little duplication). Students were free to use their smart phones, tablets or the class computers to find resources. The class was shown samples of the abstract approaches taken by a number of 20th-centur y painters. Students www.ar tsandactivities.com

were encouraged to think about the possibility of combining several different vantage points or features of a character into one composition. They had to leave enough of the spirit of the original, though, to persuade the viewer to explore the composition. For

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Pop Art most of the class, this was their ver y first large-scale painting experience. A short primer on the use of complementar y color also proved helpful. After completing several preliminar y colored-pencil drawings and acr ylic studies in their sketchbooks, 29

LEARNING OBJECTIVES High-school students will ... • recognize the impact that extraordinary media events have on popular culture. • experiment with different approaches to create abstract art. • have a chance to work on a larger scale.

Materials

• Reference material • Sketchbook, colored pencils • Acrylic paint, paintbrushes • Large-format medium-weight cover stock,

cardboard, illustration board or Masonite

Roya Delaney Su

> >

students carefully rendered their compositions on medium-weight cover stock, and completed their work using acr ylic paint. Many of the finished works have a distinct cubist flavor, while others chose to use geometric shapes and forms. Some are more linear while others took a more painterly approach. With the fear of not being able to paint photo-realistically eliminated from this exercise, students felt freer to experiment. They also liked the fact that errors in acrylic paint are easily painted over the following day. The Senior Graphic Design class

took a more controlled approach to the theme by creating a Typographic Broadsheet using a stylized vector portrait of a Star Wars character. Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article. 30

The ability to create convincing vector graphics is a marketable commodity in today’s communication and design industr y, and to render convincing artwork is a ver y challenging task. This approach is completely different from simply scanning an image that is pixel-dependent. Vector images can be enlarged without any loss in resolution. There are several software packages that do this work efficiently, with Adobe® Illustrator® leading the pack. The process involves drawing a series of overlapping layers of shapes and lines, and assigning color to them. One can also factor in opacity and transparency. When stripped of their color, the resulting files resemble contour maps m a r c h 2 0 1 6 • 83 y e a r s

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Obi Wan Kenobi in emigre

Citizen Bold

High-school students will ... • recognize the impact that extraordinary media events have on our popular culture. • create a tightly cropped stylized portrait using a vector drawing program. • supply the typographical elements needed to fill the requirements for a useful broadsheet. • learn how to correctly export a file to PDF.

Materials

• Reference material • Sketchbook and pencil crayons • Mac or PC with vector software • Ink-jet printer, high-def printing paper

PadméAD in EMIGRE

R >

Lauren James Lello

L L I A N C E

The Force

“strong The The Force Force can can have have a a strong influence influence on on the the weak-minded weak-minded ” a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Princess Leia i n E M I G R E L u n a t i x

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z www.ar tsandactivities.com

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showing elevation in a landscape! After the illustrations were built using low-res Internet images as source files, the typographical elements were applied. For the broadsheet, students had to select one of the fonts from the Emigré foundr y, and include all its characters. Glyph palettes that are now standard in most desktop-publishing and imagecreation applications are designed to create a digital source point for all characters in a given font. The students’ broadsheets were exported to PDF and printed on matte card stock using the art department’s Epson 3880 ink-jet printer. The finished work by both classes was mounted for display in the Emerald Plaza branch of the Ottawa Public Library. The contrast in styles proved perfect for this exhibit, and patrons clearly saw that art education was being well served in the Ottawa Carleton District School and that “the force” is strong at Merivale High School. n Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Irv Osterer is Department Head of Fine Arts and Technology at Merivale High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 31

ARCHITECTURE

in the ART

ROOM

by Rebekah Laurenzi

hen designing art lessons, one of the essential questions I ask myself is, “How do I ensure my students have both artistic guidance and creative freedom?” I want to give students just enough parameters to guide them toward success, while still providing open-ended approaches to learning and creating, and tapping into the joy that children experience when a project is just plain fun. Every now and then these elements come together into one dynamic lesson, such as this one that introduces students to the wonders and art of architecture.

INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE We

started this lesson by defining architecture, discussing what architects do, and comparing and contrasting famous buildings from various cultures and points in history. Students really enjoyed discovering

Angelina

Owen L.

Laney

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Learning Objectives Upper-elementary art students will ... • define architecture and explain what architects do. • compare and contrast famous buildings from various cultures and points in history. • identify basic architectural elements. • create a tower drawing that demonstrates understanding of architecture.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• • •

Creating: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work. Responding: Perceive and analyze artistic work. Connecting: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

MATERIALS

• • •

Sketchbook or sketch paper 9" x 24" white drawing paper Pencils, markers with a wide range of colors, black permanent markers (optional) • images of famous buildings (or Power Point Presentation*) • images of architectural elements, such as columns, arches, pediments, post and lintel, etc. (or Power Point Presentation*) • teacher-made architecture game spinner (paper plate with names of architectural elements and spinner arrow attachment) Go to artsandactivities.com and click on this button for resources related to this article.

similarities between buildings such as the White House in Washington, D.C. and the ruins of the Pantheon in Rome. Next, I showed them images of basic architectural elements, such as columns, arches, and arcades, and discussed how the ancient Greeks invented many of the elements that architects still use today. Then, I guided students as they practiced drawing them in their sketchbooks. TURNING ARCHITECTURE INTO A GAME When the practice

work was complete, I placed long, narrow pieces of drawing paper on each table, along with a game spinner. I made the spinner using paper plates and spinner arrows that I ordered from an educational supply company. On the paper plate I wrote the names of the architectural elements. Students’ looks of surprise turned into cheers of excitement as they began to understand the purpose of the spinners. I explained that they should give

Names of architectural elements were written within “pie wedges” on a paper plate. A spinner attachment was then inserted in the center.

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Ana

it a spin—whichever architectural element it landed on would be the thing they would draw first at the bottom of the paper. I told them that with each spin they should add another element, creating a tower until it reached the top of the paper. At this point students were hopping out of their chairs and begging me to stop talking so they could begin. They eagerly flicked the spinners and began drawing. THE FINAL TOUCHES As students worked, they noticed how the arches, columns and pediments seemed to balance on one another, and immediately began looking for ways to make the towers appear to topple. When they had finished drawing, I modeled techniques for coloring with markers, and emphasized using what they had learned in previous lessons about the color wheel to help them make good color choices. Many students added patterns and designs to make see

TOWERS

on page 41 33

Alexis Deron

> >

Ribbons and by Rebecca Tarman

Spheres

An Introduction to Still Life

s the “Introduction to Ar t” teacher, a diverse group of students from grades 9–12 attend my classes, all with varying levels of interest and ability. I have found that I need to ease the classes in to new skills and concepts, one baby step at a time. Learning to draw from life can be intimidating. Sighting proportion and placement is a challenge for new artists. This project removes some of these variables and gives them a manageable genuine introduction to still life. To prepare for this project, I cut sheets of foam insulation board into 12" x 12" pieces, which I then paint one 34

color. I attach ribbon to these boards with T-pins, being sure to create a variety of curls and twists. I then add old Christmas ornaments of various sizes, hot gluing them to the boards. Empty paper boxes and binder clips serve as the stands. (I provide one still-life arrangement for every two students.) the PROJECT beginS WITH EACH stu-

dent receiving a 12" x 12" sheet of tagboard and circle patterns that correlate to the sizes of the ornaments. They place the circles on their papers in the correct position, as I talk with them about sighting where the ornaments

fall in the composition, as well as their relationship to each other. Once the circles are placed correctly, the students trace them onto their tag board. (Be sure students save these circles for use in the final step of the project.) Before they begin to draw the ribbon, I assist students in what to look for by projecting a photo of the still life on a whiteboard, and tracing some of the major shapes I see. When the projector is turned off, the drawn shapes are visible on the whiteboard. (This could also be done with printed photos of the still life and each student tracing the shape on transparency paper.) Students then begin sketching the ribbons with No. 2 pencils. Once finished, they shade the ribbons using a softer 6B pencil. The slight sheen of the ribbon helps create areas of value that are easy for beginners to see. Once the ribbons are fully shaded, a thin border is drawn around them, leaving a narrow band of white in-between (this strip of white serves to highlight the ribbons). The background is then painted with acrylics up to the pencil border and the art is set aside to dry. The circles are to be filled with lyrics from students’ favorite songs. Each arranges them how Insulation board, ribbon, ornaments, T-pins and hot glue make up the still-life arrangement.

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Learning Objectives High-school students will ... • draw from life. • learn to only draw what they see. • sight proportion and placement • learn how to shade.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. • Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning. • Connecting: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

Materials

•

• • • •

Still-life arrangement (ribbons, ornaments, foam insulation board, T-pins 12" x 12" white tagboard Acrylic paint, paintbrushes No. 2 and 6B pencils Glue sticks, tape, scissors

Sheryl

Cheyenne E.

they want, and uses varying typefaces if they wish. They print out their lyrics, trace the circle patterns on the back, cut them out, and then glue them onto their projects. This has proven to be an effective

introduction to still life. With the variable of proportion removed from the equation, students can instead focus on drawing what they see, and practicing sighting and shading. The students also enjoy the opportunity to express themselves through their choice of lyrics. This project could easily be coordinated with the language-arts teacher, with students filling the circles with poems or passages they are studying in class. n Rebecca Tarman teaches art at Fairfield Junior Senior High in Goshen, Ind. www.ar tsandactivities.com

Jediah

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INTEGRATING

the curriculum

Portraiture: A Study of by Sabina Bolinger

hen working from a cart in the elementar y school system, I have found that collaboration is the key to effective research-based projects. Not only is this saving you time in a schedule where you see the students once a week for a 25- to 30-minute time frame, but you are also helping to reinforce subjects learned in the students’ regular classrooms. I have worked closely with our sixth-grade teacher on multiple assignments for quite a few years. One of my favorite collaborative lessons is the history unit on Ancient Greece and the Greek gods. After reading the chapter on Greece, teaching the basics about the location, lifestyles, history and cultures, Mr. Maltby assigns each student a Greek god to research and write an essay about. Before they compose the paper, they must compile a list of 20 facts pertaining to that specific god—things like animals associated with that god, characteristics of that god, symbols or attributes belonging to them, and virtues that the god was said to represent. Sometimes students were even able to find visual traits that god was known to possess. This list is then used to set up the background and specific details needed to start a visual portrait of that god.

Katie, “Eos.” Gillian, “Selene.” Caitlin, “Ares.”

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the Greek Gods I like to INTRODUCE portraiture at the second-grade

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upper-elementary students will … • research Greek gods. • list characteristics and symbols specific to different Greek gods. • understand and compose portraits of the human face in proportion. • create a drawing with symbolism.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

• • •

Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. Presenting: Interpreting and sharing artistic work. Responding: Understanding and evaluating how the arts convey meaning. • Connecting: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

MATERIALS

• 11" x 14" drawing paper • Graphite pencils, erasers, colored pencils www.ar tsandactivities.com

•

Handouts of human facial proportions

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Makenna, “Zeus.” Chase, “Helios.”

level with the basic full view of the face. I continue this every year, adding more detail until fifth grade, where I incorporate the three-quarter-view portrait into the class. During the first two weeks of the unit, while Mr. Maltby reviews the history and students compile their lists, we review both the full and three-quarter view portrait studies, using a step-by-step breakdown. This helps returning students review from the previous year and gives new ones the information needed to work at the same level as the rest of the class. By the time both views are reviewed and the list of 20 facts is completed, it’s time to start our Greek god portrait drawings. We start by dividing our paper in half with a very light pencil line. I explain that the finished drawing is to be a head-and-shoulder portrait of the god. We discuss how the oval of the head should be on the top half of the page and the shoulders should start at about the half-page line. I find it important to go over how the size and width of our shoulders is in comparison to the oval of the head. It is also important to explain that your armpits are the width of your arms away from the top of your shoulders. Without

this reminder, many students at this age want to make the line of the arm continue all the way to the line of the shoulder. Clothing is discussed and I demonstrate a few ways to draw a toga-like garment, both with draping around the neck and over one shoulder. Students now have the basic form drawn and are ready to give their study some personality specific to the Greek god they researched. The selected gods vary in their importance in histor y

and the information available about them. When it came to the more well-known gods like Zeus and Ares, students had a decent amount of information to draw from. Students with lesser-known gods, such as Hestia, had to be more creative in their approach to the drawing. With the gods that had a lot of visuals with the research, I really stressed the importance of making the picture your own—not a copy of the drawing in the book. “Just like the book’s illustrator did, you are giving your viewer what you think that god or goddess looked like.” I told them. Using their facts lists as a reference, the students drew in a background and then finished their drawings by coloring them with colored pencils. Through this multidisciplinary experience, students strengthened their research skills, learned about Ancient Greece and the Greek gods, produced some good-looking drawings and, perhaps most important of all: they came away knowing that their ideas matter. n Sabina Bolinger teaches art K–12 art Madison Elementary and Madison Jr./Sr. High School in Madison, Kansas. 37

by David Laux LEARNING OBJECTIVES Middle-school students will … • demonstrate the ability to identify and recreate shades and contrast found within provided black-and-white photos. • implement skills appropriate to tools and materials.

NATIONAL ART STANDARDS

•

Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work. • Presenting: Interpreting and sharing artistic work.

MATERIALS

y students and I have always gotten excited about the introduction of portrait drawing. They are right there with me when it comes to proportion and placement of features, but then, when we look back at their work, we find them to look very rigid and alien. We feel the same about shading: excited about learning the process, but the exercises lack any lasting character or value (pun intended). So I decided to follow up on these two processes with a project that the students could look at later and be proud

to say, “Yes, I did that!” I wanted my students to experience shading with charcoal, but I did not want their inability to render a likeness of a person to hinder them from accomplishing this end. For this reason, I provided them with a completed contour drawing to jump-start the process. The students had previously completed a simple value scale with pencil, and have used ink washes, as well. Therefore, much of my instruction was geared toward looking for

David, Mahatma Ghandi.

• Charcoal, white chalk, erasers • Construction paper • Denim scraps, terry-cloth rags • Internet, printer

Ashley, Winston Churchill.

and identifying the darkest and lightest areas within provided black-andwhite photos. Together, we also compared shapes with hard edges and blends. After some preliminary exercises, each

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Dylan, Napoléon Bonaparte.

student chose a copied drawing. They then had to select the photo that matched their drawing. TO prepare for this project, I

found black-and-white images of various celebrities, politicians and historical icons online. After printing these, I traced simple contour sketches of them onto copier paper. This was a time investment, but I have since used the drawings several times and in other ways, so it was very much worth the effort. These drawings were then copied onto the pages for student use. I used a light gray construction paper, www.ar tsandactivities.com

which was chopped into 8.5" x 11" pieces. The construction paper provided a nice weight and tooth onto which the charcoal could adhere. (Note: I tried using bright-colored papers with one of my classes for a “Pop art” look, but it really inhibited their ability to shade.) I coached the class through the shading process, instructing them to trace over the provided lines and then stop and wait. We then added some shading in only the darkest of areas and paused. I assured them they would have an opportunity to correct mistakes and add highlights. I cautioned them not to over-shade, as I directed

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Nathan, Che Guevara.

their attention to the lighter areas, which provided the contrast required. Then I passed out some erasers and scraps of denim, and demonstrated how they could clean the edge of their erasers by dragging them across the denim. They were warned not to over-erase or brush their hands across the work. Next, I showed them how to use additive white as I passed out a few pieces of chalk to share. I prompted them to identify the lightest areas and showed them how to use a loose, stroking technique to add an expressive quality to their work. I placed a piece of masking tape by each student as they finished their work and instructed them to roll up and tape their work. They were advised to transport and store the work carefully, to avoid smearing their drawings. For cleanup, providing each table with a wet terry-cloth rag to scrub their hands with before approaching the sinks accelerated the process n David Laux teaches fourth- through sixth-grade art at Wilson Intermediate School in Pekin, Illinois. 39

• You will be selecting products that have undergone extensive testing and meet strict requirements to qualify for the use of the AP and CL seals

“You taught me how to see, how to interpret art. Yes, college is teaching me how to draw and how to paint. But I wouldn’t be able to do that without understanding what I was looking at.” Somehow, I knew what he meant. I, too, had felt compelled to thank my high school teacher once I made the transition into college. She had taught me to see the world through the eyes of an artist, but also through the artist’s palette. So, I knew what he was saying. I collected his gratitude and forwarded mine to him, “No, Jesse, Thank you.” Jesse was not my first to venture off to art school from my class. But, he was the first in allowing me to see that teaching is a two-way street which benefits both the student AND the teacher. My words to fellow teachers are this: You may not remember everyone you teach. But they will remember you. You will forever be a figure of hope and success, even if you don’t think you are getting through. As summer is a time for us to rejuvenate our senses, it is also a time to allow the students to exercise what we have stressed all year long, allowing them the practice and then to come to us in September with the tools to piggyback and accept what we have to offer them during the new year. Teach and let them teach you, too! Inspire and let them inspire you! n

Visit www.ACMIart.org to learn more about ACMI and ACMI-certified products!

Justin Piccirillo teaches art at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden, Conn.

FORUM

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TOWERS continued from page 33

their drawings even more unique.

DIFFERENTIATION One of my favorite things about this lesson is that it allows for differentiation on many levels. The student population I work with is quite diverse, and while they looked at the famous buildings, many recognized buildings from their home countries. They felt empowered by sharing what they knew about those buildings with the other students. The art-making portion of this lesson also allowed students at all levels to make a successful drawing. They could choose which type of column to draw if the spinner landed on “column,” and this allowed them to vary the level of difficulty according to their abilities. Those who were more inclined to draw small, detailed towers could use smaller paper. Two students came up with the idea to work together, with each of them drawing one half of a tower on his paper, and pairing them together to make one really tall tower. As they worked, many students wanted to stop using the spinner and decide the best elements for their work on their own. I told them to go for it! As my students began to develop architectural structures independently, I knew that this lesson had bridged the gap between artistic guidance and creative freedom. n Rebekah Laurenzi is a visual arts teacher at Farmington Elementary School in Germantown, Tennessee.

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Germany. Public domain.

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13 BRIDGES CHILDREN SHOULD KNOW, by Brad Finger. Prestel; $14.95. What is the name of the tallest bridge ever built? What does the incredible Jade Belt Bridge look like? Which two methods were used in building the Tower Bridge in London? These and many more questions are answered in this fine addition to Prestel’s “13” series. In all, the author includes not 13, but 17 bridges, as well as a timeline beginning at 100 B.C. Additionally, he has added a glossar y and a few quiz questions. The photographs are spectacular and the written material worthy of note. Meant for those 8 years old and up, 13 Bridges is a kids’ book that adults will savor too. What an excellent way to stimulate the ambitions of future engineers and architects.–P.G. DRAWING AND PAINTING WITH WATER SOLUBLE MEDIA, by Fiona Peart. Search Press Ltd., $29.95. The types of workable water-based media are many (gouache, inks, watercolors, etc.), and they take many forms, including water-soluble pencils and sticks. Many if not most artists find them versatile and beneficial. This beautiful book will move readers to reach for their water-based materials. Fiona Peart takes account of all the usual water-soluble media except tempera paint, and all the usual effects that can be achieved with household items such as combs, salt, soap, and others. She says it herself: “No technique is truly unique.” The author breaks her material into four sections: manner of working, dr y on dr y, dr y on wet, wet on

dr y, and wet on wet. The step-by-step projects, always of use to beginners, are comprehensive. The exciting illustrations are of good size and in sumptuous color. The chapter about color contains several comparisons that make an impression, from limited color weighed against complementaries to subtle color contrasted with the exaggerated. Peart repeats an important message throughout the paperback book: Explore your materials, experiment often, and discover by doing.–P.G.

MAKE IT! WRITE IT! READ IT! Simple Bookmaking Projects to Engage Kids in Art and Literacy, by Wendy M. L. Libby. Chicago Review Press; $16.95. Ms. Libby has written a sorely needed resource for teachers at the elementary level, especially those interested in collaborative or enhancement lessons. Her projects center on writing rather than respected published stories, although she lists suggested reading in the back matter. And by composing their own, original writings, kids today surely will produce literary gems tomorrow. Readers are first guided through the materials for and construction of about 20 different types of blank books. Then they find 23 projects to use with them, art objectives included (adult supervision is required with just one). Over 100 easy-to-understand illustrations accompany them. Most are in black and white. These are tried-and-true methods, as the author is a well-experienced art teacher who encourages inventiveness. She’s also a thoughtful writer. Her suggested themes, such as flowers, fish, or leaves, can be adapted easily to other units.–P.G.

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shop talk

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ROYAL & LANGNICKEL For the younger artist, the “Cool Art” line of materials from Royal & Langnickel includes oil pastels, colored pencils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, and more—some paired in sets with brushes and artist pads. Brushes and artist pads are also available separately, as well as sketchbooks and palettes.

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Schools & Summer

Workshops

2016

Ideas on how to make the most of art programs this summer. When contacting those listed, tell them you saw them in Arts & Activities! (Information subject to change without notice.)

FOR TEACHERS California Inspire the next generation of art students. Earn a degree online or in San Francisco. B.F.A. and M.F.A. in art ed; art teaching credential; continuing art-ed courses, and more. Academy of Art University, San Francisco, Calif., www. academyart.edu Florida Ringling College of Art and Design Summer Teacher Institute provides a professional development experience in arts integration for all K–12 educators. Offered are traditional and digital-based workshops designed to introduce and explore new techniques that can be carried into the classroom to augment instructional delivery and elevate student learning through the integration of art into the curriculum. Teachers of all areas of study are encouraged to attend. July 10–16. Ringling College of Art + Design, Sarasota, Fla., www.ringling.edu/TeacherInstitute Massachusetts Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill offers a range of summer workshops taught by distinguished faculty from around the country. Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, Mass., info@castlehill.org, www.castlehill.org Michigan The online M.A. in Art Education from the Gwen Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University provides new and established K–12 art educators with advanced professional preparation in curriculum development, pedagogy, action research, leadership, and advocacy in the visual arts. Western Michigan University, www.wmich.edu/ online/arteducation/ New York Engage with renowned and exciting practitioners, philosophers, psychologists, educators and researchers in the arts, cultural studies, and humanities. Applications are now open for M.A.; M.A. with Teacher Certification; Ed.M.; Ed.D.; and Ed.D in the College Teaching of Art. Specializations in museum education, community arts, studio practice and leadership. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y., www.tc.edu/A&H/arted North Carolina Wildacres Retreat is an artistic retreat for adults in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Engage with other artists, practice or learn a new skill, and glean inspiration from the beauty of the 46

natural environment. Choose from an array of workshops including ceramics, figure drawing, mixed media, painting, and more. Two summer sessions: July 17–23 and 24–30. www.ringling. edu/ContinuingStudies#Wildacres Ohio The Educators’ Summer Studio (June 19–24) at Columbus College of Art and Design, is a professional-development program that offers creative experiences designed for high-school teachers of art, design, technology and arts integration. Recharge your creative side, invest in your own creative growth and development, build relationships with other creative and innovative educators, and get specific activities and lesson ideas to take back to your classroom. www.ccad.edu/programs-of-study/ community-classes/art-educator-summer-studio Pennsylvania Studio-intensive program for K–12 art educators in your craft of choice at Wayne (June 27–July 1), Goggleworks in Reading (July 11–15) or Philadelphia (Aug. 8–12). Participants attend a luncheon with a keynote speaker and earn graduate credits. The week concludes with an exhibition and reception. The University of the Arts, Professional Institute for Educators, Philadelphia, pie@uarts.edu, cs.uarts.edu/artsweek Marywood’s “Get Your Masters with the Masters” MFA Program is a low-residency program for a 60-credit Master of Fine Arts degree in graphic design or illustration. It’s specifically designed for working art directors, designers, illustrators, new media artists and art educators who have to budget their time and resources carefully, while continuing with their fulltime occupations. Marywood University, Scranton, Pa., www.marywood.edu/mfa/index.html Tennessee Weekend, one- and two-week workshops taught by national and international studio artists and university faculty. Work and learn in professionally equipped studios on a 14-acre residential campus. Teachers receive a discount on tuition. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tenn., www.arrowmont.org Washington D.C. Develop “new eyes” at the NAEA SummerVision DC program, July 5–8. Spend four, art-filled days in Washington, D.C., exploring collections, exhibitions, and museums. www.arteducators.org/learning/ summervision

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The National Gallery of Art invites K–12 teachers to apply for its “Art of the Renaissance” seminar. The 2016 Teacher Institute’s instructional sessions will integrate art, social history, language arts, and teaching strategies through the examination of the Gallery’s collections. Session 1: July 11–16; Session 2: July 25–30. Application deadline is March 30. www.nga.gov/teacherinstitute ONLINE LEARNING Online continuing courses and accredited degrees in art ed. Academy of Art University, San Francisco, www.academyart.edu

Online Professional Development designed and taught by art teachers, exclusively for art teachers—all online! Fully accredited and transferable degree-level courses. Earn PD hours, advance on salary schedule, get grad credit, all from the comfort of home. The Art of Education, www.theartofed.com/classes Earn your master’s in art education online while you teach. Join like-minded educators who love teaching art. Empower yourself with advanced skills in research and practice. Take control of the important decisions that affect you, your students, and your career. Western Michigan University, www.wmich. edu/online/arteducation/

FOR YOUNG ARTISTS California Summer of Art at Otis is a four-week pre-college art and design program designed to develop and enhance artistic and creative skills. Serious young artists (15 and older) seeking to strengthen and enhance their art and design skills, as well as students with limited art training, are invited to participate. July 5–July 29. Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, www.otis.edu/summer-art Florida Ringling College of Art + Design’s PreCollege Perspective offers talented high-school students a chance to live the art-school experience and take on the rigors of a college-level visual arts curriculum. June 26–July 23. www.ringling.edu/precollege Georgia SCAD Rising Star is a challenging five-week program that awards college credit to rising high-school seniors who are ready for a summer college experience at SCAD Savannah (June 20–July 22), SCAD Atlanta (June 20–July 22), or SCAD Hong Kong (June 27–July 29). Students enroll in two college-level classes and have the opportunity to build or enhance their visual arts portfolios. www.scad.edu/rs Available at SCAD Atlanta, SCAD Hong Kong or SCAD Savannah, week-long SCAD Summer Seminars workshops offer students the opportunity to gain valuable educational experience while developing their creative vision through exciting art and design projects and assignments. The program is designed for high-school students who have completed their freshman, sophomore or junior years. www.scad.edu/sss

UARTS’ ANNUAL ARTSWEEK FOR K-12 ART EDUCATORS • • •

Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA – June 27 - July 1, 2016 Goggleworks in Reading, PA – July 11 - 15, 2016 UArts in Philadelphia – August 8-12, 2016

This summer, join your fellow K-12 art educators for a week-long, “retreat style”, studio intensive, art program at our Wayne, Reading or Philadelphia site. In addition to immersing yourself in your craft of choice, Artsweek participants attend a luncheon with a keynote speaker and earn 3 graduate credits! The week concludes with an exhibition and reception. New this 2016: ArtsWeek participants at the Philadelphia site have the option to reside on campus, with prearranged access to open studio time in the evening! Visit cs.uarts.edu/artsweek for details. Contact the Professional Institute for Educators at pie@uarts.edu or 215.717.6092

Ohio The College PreView program at Columbus College of Art and Design (CCA) introduces high-school students who are interested in a career in art and design to the college experience. Students participate in classes, workshops and activities taught by CCA faculty and staff, and have opportunities to meet and collaborate with other emerging artists and designers. Students live in a residence hall, experience life on campus and earn three college credits. www.ccad.edu/ programs-of-study/community-classes/ college-preview/college-preview-overview Pennsylvania Intensive three- or four-week study for high-school students in Art, Media + Design, Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Music Business, and Theater. Housing available. College credit. The University of the Arts, Pre-College Summer Institute, Philadelphia, Pa., precollege@uarts.edu, uarts.edu/summerinstitute

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Engage your creativity. Empower your students. Transform your career. Earn your masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Art Education online while you teach.

Join like-minded educators who love teaching art. Empower yourself with advanced skills in research and practice. Take control of the important decisions that affect you, your students and your career. Gwen Frostic School of Art wmich.edu/online/art

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march 2016

“I cannot expect even my own art to provide all the answers—only to hope it keeps asking all the right questions.” — Grace Hartigan

his month we will focus on drawing and color media. My students often have a hard time just drawing, whether it’s free-drawing time or an assignment. This year, my middle-school students started to learn how to do visual journaling in their sketchbooks. For some, it was very hard at first but, now, many of them carry around their sketchbooks and journal at home in the evenings and on weekends. I explained the concept of visual journaling and showed them examples from my sketchbooks. Their first assignment was a visual timeline of their life. Most of the students did a great job and when we looked at them as a class, the students who did not get it at first had their “aha” moment

class or someone who cheated! When they were completed, Geri would have her students use paint or markers to fill in the body.

tip #2

Mixing Media More often than not,

we have our students use one media when drawing or painting. Why not use multiple? It mixes it up for the students and gives them an opportunity to experiment. Instead of doing crayon resist, try using oil pastels and watercolors. The colors are more brilliant and the results are incredible. I have had my students dip colored chalk in white tempera paint, again it gives the painting a very impressionistic feel. You can also try using white chalk in multiple colors of tempera paint. Many of my students are afraid to mix media while doing a project for fear they will “ruin” what they have started. I always explain to them that

Glenda L

ubiner

large, laminated paper pocket stapled to the wall in an accessible place in the art room. In the pocket are multiple copies of visual information. For example, a drawing of a skeleton to help a child remember the proportions of a body or where the joints move to show action. The other way of presenting help-

Drawing Inspiration when viewing other sketchbooks. Every week I give them one journaling assignment just to keep them on track. The students are allowed to any medium they like or multiple media.

tip #1

Drawing Beneath the Paper Geri

Greenman, retired high-school teacher from the Chicago area, always liked to have her students use their eyes to draw a continuous-line drawing of student models. The students would use pencils on newsprint and have a second piece of paper over their hand. The drawings would often turn out quite funny looking, but it was a great way to use your eyes. This drawing skill is a great way to train our eyes to really see. If any of the drawings are perfect there is either a fabulous talent in the ATTENTION READERS If you would like to share some of your teaching tips, email them to: triedandtrue@artsandactivities.com

many times the experiment will result in a happy accident.

tip #3

Gesture Drawings My middle-school

students love to do gesture drawings. I have done this warm-up exercise with students from third to eighth grade, and have always had great results. I first demonstrate what a gesture drawing is. After that initial demo, I tell them that gestures drawings are usually done very quickly: 30 seconds to two minutes. At first it is hard for them to grasp the idea of doing a drawing in 30 seconds, but after a few tries they get it. (The students have fun taking turns being the model.)

tip #4

ful review information involves taking photos that show each step of the basic process, like how to make a clay slab/ tile or how to make a clay box. The photo titles are numbered in the correct order with short explanations that names the step in the process. For example: 1SlabTicTacToe.jpg, 2CutAwayCorners.jpg, and so on. When the photos are printed as a contact sheet, the directions appear in order with the titles for each step. Print and laminate, and they are ready for the students to use whenever needed. birthday to Michelangelo (March 6, 1475), Rosa Bonheur (March 16, 1822), Grace Hartigan (March 28, 1922), Francisco de Goya (March 30, 1746) and Vincent van Gogh (March 30, 1853). Thank you Geri, Barbara and Cathy for those informative tips. n

Happy

“I don't remember how to … ”

Barbara Downing Owen and Cathy Gruetzke-Blais, from Tenacre Country Day School in Wellesley, Mass., have experimented with two responses to this plea from their students. One is a

Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Glenda Lubiner (NBCT) teaches art at Franklin Academy Charter School in Pembroke Pines, Fla. She is also an adjunct professor at Broward College.

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